Walking into “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” you expect to be wowed by Frances McDormand not only by the word of mouth but just by taking one look at the movie trailer and you are not disappointed. Mildred Hayes is a hard, sassy talking, take no bull from anyone, headstrong woman who doesn’t give an inch and gets laughs just by the way she delivers a zinger.  Her daughter had been raped, killed and burned alive 7 months before and the case seems to be cold and she won’t stand for it.

She rents 3 billboards on a very seldom driven road stating 1) RAPED WHILE DYING 2) AND STILL NO ARRESTS and 3) HOW COME, CHIEF WILLOUGHBY? Along with everything else Mildred has the guilt of the last words saying to her daughter, “I Hope you do get raped!” in anger and frustration with her. As horrible as that sounds you are on her side no matter what she does and says and you never know what that will be!

As good as McDormand is, and she is good, Woody Harrelson, as Chief Willoughby, matches her anger, frustration with the absence of leads and not being able to help the woman though they are alike in many ways. He has problems of his own to face and there is a 2-3 minute scene between him and his wife Anne, played by Abbie Cornish, showing what love is all about. He also, obviously, loves his 2 daughters.

Giving Harrelson and McDormand a run for best performance in this movie is saying a lot and Sam Rockwell as a dim-witted, racist, violent police officer does just that. Caleb Landry Jones as the advertiser who rents the billboards to Mildred is fierce though seems to be a bit too young for the role. John Hawks, as Mildred’s wife beating ex-husband Charlie and his new 19 year old girlfriend Samara Weaving are just two of the townspeople against her and the billboards. Lucas Hedges, as the son of Mildred and Charlie, definitely his mother’s son, Clarke Peters is a new police chief while Peter Dinklage is a car dealer who gives Mildred an alibi when she needs one and Sandy Martin as Rockwell’s mother all add to the movie.

This is a deep movie in spite of the foul language and the many laughs from situations, but it has many dark moments, a lot of violence, resolved and unresolved relationships and though all the characters are frayed in one way or another you come to care for them because of the screenplay and direction by Martin McDonagh.

“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”, aside from its cumbersome title, will be mentioned in many categories during award time and is a must see.

Movie Trailer